


Lucky Man

by mrdingleifyonasty



Category: Emmerdale
Genre: Cancer, Graphic Depictions of Illness, Hospitalization, Hospitals, M/M, Major Illness, Mentions of Cancer, Vomiting
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-23
Updated: 2020-11-23
Packaged: 2021-03-10 00:08:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 732
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27684719
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mrdingleifyonasty/pseuds/mrdingleifyonasty
Summary: WIP - Aaron swears he's done with Robert after he cheated. But, when Aaron is diagnosed with a serious illness, will he turn to his estranged husband for support? Meanwhile Robert is trying to come to terms with being a single dad when he has no clue about babies. He has no idea his beloved Aaron is hiding such a life changing secret. What will happen when he finds out?
Relationships: Aaron Dingle & Victoria Sugden, Aaron Dingle/Robert Sugden, Adam Barton & Aaron Dingle
Comments: 8
Kudos: 81





	Lucky Man

**Author's Note:**

> So this is a WIP that I have going on at the moment but I figured I'd see how much interest there is in it by posting a little snippet here. Serious illness is a major theme in the story so if that's something that upsets you, please don't read. The title comes from a song of the same name by The Verve which felt like it fits the theme. 
> 
> I'm taking some liberties with canon in this fic. Hopefully it will be clear as the fic progresses. The main changes I've made is that Rebecca and Lachlan died in the car crash along with Chrissie and Lawrence and Adam never left the village. 
> 
> So, with all that said, I hope you enjoy this snippet and hopefully the first chapter will follow soon! Feedback is always welcome :)

_ “I’m sorry Robert. I’ve tried to be ok with this but I can’t. You need to leave.” _

  
  


Six months ago, those words seemed like the right thing to say. But if there was ever a time Aaron wished that Robert was by his side, it was now. 

He looks down at his phone doubtfully. It’s not like he’s alone. There are plenty of people he could call right now but how would he even begin to do it? Shaking his head, he pockets the phone and marches away from the hospital entrance as quickly as he can. It would be stupid to say it over a phonecall. That, of course, leaves him with the face to face option. He’s not sure that’s any better. Does he really want to see the faces of his loved ones when he tells them?

“How am I doing? oh, you know. Not so bad. I did just get a cancer diagnosis…” 

He feels sick. He should’ve expected this. After all, they don’t demand to see you in person as a ‘matter of urgency’ just to tell you that you’re a picture of good health. He’s been feeling shit for months and he’d put it down to the stress of everything that had happened within the last couple of years. Gordon. Prison. Rebecca. Seb. He had no idea that there was actually something really wrong. That it had a name other than a shitty fucking life. 

Leukemia. 

He tries saying the word out loud. Perhaps it’ll make it seem more real that way. Make it actually make some sort of sense in his head. The past couple of weeks have been a flurry of appointments, a painful bone marrow biopsy and it had all culminated in the news today that he had leukemia and the recommendation was to start treatment as soon as possible. 

He makes it to his car and sits down heavily in the driver’s seat. He tries hard to imagine the reactions of telling everyone. His mum would be distraught. Adam would try his best to be stoic. Liv...she was in Dublin but he could hear her losing it down the phone in his head. He starts to feel the panic that he expected would happen. 

HIs hands grip the steering wheel tightly. He’s supposed to be going to the scrapyard since he’s already late but he can’t quite bring himself to get the car started. If he leaves this bubble of his, goes back to his real life, he’ll have to face up to the fact that people are going to need to know. He’d been in a daze throughout the doctor’s entire speech but he’d picked up the pertinent parts. Chemo. Side effects. Lots of rest. Even if he held off telling everyone, the fucking cancer would do the job for him eventually. 

He swears out loud, a litany of curses that do little to make him feel better. He’s not sure what he’s even angry at anymore. The diagnosis or the fact that he wants his husband so much that it hurts. Perhaps he’s angry at Robert himself because if it wasn’t for his fucking cheating then he would be here right now. Robert’s always been the sobering ying to his raging yang. He’s always been that anchor he needs to stop himself drifting away and if there was ever a time he needed that anchor, it’s now. 

Robert’s number is still in his phone. He hasn’t been able to bring himself to delete it yet. He could call him now and tell him that he needs him. He has no doubt that Robert would be there for him. He’d drop everything and be in the hospital car park within minutes. It’s so tempting but he also can’t let himself forget how much it hurt when it found out about Rebecca. He’d tried his hardest to get over it and carry on but then when Seb had come along…

He tosses his phone onto the back seat. He’s going to resist the temptation. Robert isn’t an option any more no matter how much he still wants him to be. Aaron starts the car and backs out of the parking space. Adam’s going to give him shit for being late and slacking off but, if he’s honest with himself, it’ll be a small piece of normalcy that he needs right now.


End file.
